Torpedo-launching apparatus.



Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

{SHEETS-SHEEI F. BAKER.

TORPEDO LAUNCHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION men MAY 14. I917.

F. BAKER.

TORPEDO LAUNCHING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED- MAY 14. 1911.

1 ,285,58 6. Patented NOV. 26, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FRANK BAKER, 0F BROADVIEW, SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA.

TORPEDO-LAUNCHING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

Application filed May 14, 1917. Serial No. 168,537.

To'aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK BAKER, of the town of Broadview, in theProvince of Saskatchewan and the Dominion of Canada, in the CanadianArmy, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 'in Torpedo-Launching Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in guns particularly adapted fornaval use and the objects of the invention are to permit of a series oftorpedoes being fired in rapid succession and at gradually increasedpredetermined depths so that when chasing submarines the eifective rangeof the torpedoes may be greatly increased and thus effectively destroythe submarine after the same has dived or become submerged.

Further objects are to permit of the gun being mounted on merchantvessels, patrol boats and in all types of war craft, and to be soarranged that they may be utilized above or below water for offensive ordefensive purposes.

Further objects still are to increase the efiiciency of the gun andrender the operations of the same automatic, controlled either from theships bridge or by a gun crew.

Further objects still are to permit of a vessel equipped with a gun ofthis description utilizing another vessel as a screen and firingtorpedoes under the said screening vessel at eneniys vessels located onthe opposite side of the screening vessel.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consistsessentially of the improved construction particularly described and setforth in the following specification and accompanying drawings formingpart of the same.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the improved gun.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.

I? ig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a torpedo tube.

Fig. l is a side elevation of one of the improved torpedoes.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same.

Like characters of reference refer tolike parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, the improved gun comprising A represents thefixed barrel l, which is stayed or otherwise securely braced at theforward end to the hull B of the ship, tively supported by the standardC.

The outer wall of the forward end of this fixed barrel is made slightlyconical and surrounded by an annular jacket 3 connected with an inletconduit ehthrough which water at a high pressure is designed to bepassed.

The hull B of the ship is provided with a port 5 arranged in alinementwith the fixed barrel 1 of the gun and this port is designed to beclosed by sluice gate 6 provided with a rod 7 which is connected at thelower end to the piston 8.

This piston slidably operates in the cylinder 9 provided at the lowerend with a transversely extending wall 10 having an inlet port 11therethrough and a spring 12 is located between the said piston and thesaid transverse wall.

This sluice gate is automatically opened by the high pressure waterwhich is delivered to the conduit 4, a portion ofthis water passingthrough the inlet port 13 formed in the wall of the cylinder 9, andpressing the piston 8 downwardly, while the main body of the waterpassing into the annular jacket 3 is discharged through the port 5 inthe hull of the ship and forms a water cone, tlje object of which willbe made clear herea ter.

The sluice gate 6 is automatically closed under the action of the piston8 acted upon by the spring 12 in conjunction with compressed air whichis delivered to the cylinder 9 through the port 11, in the wall 10, andwhile the upward motion of the sluice gate 6 is taking place the waterpressure delivered to the conduit 1 is somewhat reduced.

An auxiliary cone is also formed on the outside of the water cone by theuse of a conduit 15 surrounding the port 5 and provided with a pluralityof angularly disposed orifices 16 through which high pressure fluid isdischarged to press back the wall of water and so reduce the waterpressure on a torpedo D as it is being discharged from the fixed barrel1.

This barrel is provided adjacent to its rear end with a valve chest 17provided with a cut off port 18, the said valve chest being in the formof a cylinder having a piston 19 slidably operated therein and carryinga while the rear end may be operapiston rod around which a spiral spring21 is arranged, the said spring being located between the end wall ofthe cylinder and the said piston.

The rear end of the fixed barrel 1 is provided with a conical recess 22adapted to engage with the conical end 23 of the torpedo tube 25 carriedby the magazine E. This magazine consists of a shaft 26 rotatablymounted in the standards C-and C and provided adjacent to its ends witha pair of disk plates 27 provided with a plurality of orifices 28therethrough concentrically arranged around the said shaft.

Theseorifices are designed to engage with the torpedo tubes 25operatively supporting the same in equidistantly spaced relation and theperiphery of one of the'plates 27 is provided with serrations 29designed to facili tate rotating the magazine through predetermineddistance during each operation of the gun.

Coacting with the serrations 29 is a pawl 30 carried byv the piston rod31 provided with a piston 32 slidably mounted in the angularly disposedcylinder 33 which is provided with a flanged end 34 with which the bolt35 engages.

'The lower end of the cylinder 33 is connected to the air inlet pipe 36provided intermediate of its length with a movable joint 37 whichpermitsof the cylinder 33, when the bolt 35 has been loosened, beingrotated in a horizontal plane for the purpose of disassembling themagazine.

The inlet pipe 36 communicates at its upper end'witli the cylinder 17and is provided intermediate of its length with a spring controlledcheck valve 36 below which is located a branch pipe 38 connected to thecylinder 39, which is provided intermediate of its length with anexhaust port 24.

A piston 40 slidably operates in this cylinder and is provided with apiston rod 41 which forms a locking member adapted to coact with thefront plate 27 of the maga zine E and so look the magazine in the desired predetermined position.

The cylinder 39 houses a spiral spring 42 adapted to coact with thepiston 40 and normally press the same outwardly.

The cylinder 33 is provided adjacent to its upper end with an outletport 43 designed to exhaust the air from the said cylinder and permit ofthe piston 32 being returned to its normal position under the action ofthe spiral spring 44 which extends around the piston rod 31 and islocated between the piston 32 and the upper end of the cylinder, thesaid piston being further provided with a leaf or like spring 45designed to coact with the pawl 30 and normally press the same intocontact with the periphery of the serrated disk plate 27.

j the inlet into the conduit '55.

The magazine may be locked in position by the locking device 46, whichis of any suitable construction and the magazine is normally positionedso that the uppermost tube 25 will be disengaged from the fixed barrel 1by means of the spiral spring 47 which is located between the standardsC and the front disk plate 27. V

The position of the disk plates 27 is pre determined so that'the torpedotubes 25 will be in turn brought into alinement with the fixedbarrel 1during each operation of the gun and longitudinal movement of the diskplates on the shaft 26 is obviated by the use of collars 48"providedwith set pins 49 coacting therewith and adapted to frictionally engagewith the shaft 26 and so position the collars.

Each of the torpedo tubes is provided adjacentto its "forward end witha'slot 50, in Which the retaining cam 51 is pivotally mounted, the outerend of the cam being connected towthe piston rod 52 which'is providedwith a piston 53 slidably mounted in the cylinder 54 formed integralwith the said tubes.

The retaining cam 51 is also inclosed by the casing 54 formed'integralwith the said tubes and the cylinder is provided with an air conduit 55'co'nnectedto the rear" end of the torpedo tubes.

Air is admitted tothe conduit 55 through port 56, the air beingcontrolled by the valve 57- which is normally pressed into engagementwith the said port through the medium of the spring 58 located above thevalve and coasting at its outer end With the adjustable screw'or plug 59threaded The rear end of each of the torpedo tubes is provided withace-nical recess 60, each designed in turn to engage with the conicalend 61 of thedownwardly projecting tubular arm 62 of the air chest 63whichis supported by the hangers 64 from the track 65.

These hangers are provided intermediate of their length with turnbuckles 66 which permit ofthe' adjustment of the same'to elevate orlower the air chest to the desired extent, the upper ends of the hangersare provided with Wheels 67 designed to run along the track 65.

Between the tubular arm 62 and the body of the air chest 63, ports 68are located which are of substantial v'-shape, and coacting with theseports is a D valve 69 con nected through the rod 70 with the lever 71pivotally mounted intermediate of its length and connected at the lowerend to the link 72, which in turn is connected to the lower end of thelever 73 pivotally supported intermediate of its length.

The upper end of the lever 73 is pivotally attached to the piston rod 74which carries a piston 7 5 slidably mounted in the cylin- 1,2a5,5se

der or valve chest 7 5, the said piston being normally spring pressedoutwardly by means of aspiral spring '77 located between the end of thecylinder and the said piston.

This cylinder or valve chest is provided intermediate of its length withperipheral recesses 7 8 in the inner wall to permit of the air locatedin the forward part of the cylinder being readily exhausted through thesaid peripheral recesses and exhaust port 79 extending through thecylinder or valve chest walls adjacent to one end thereof. a

This cylinder or valve chest is connected through the conduit 80 withthe air reservoir 81, and the conduit is provided intermediate of itslength with a valve 82 designed to be normally held closed by the spring83 connected to the rod 84.

The reservoir 81 is also connected to the air chest 63 through theconduit 85 provided intermediate of its length and with a ball andsocket connection 86 permitting of the valve chest being moved to alimited extent in a longitudinal direction without any liability of theair escaping through the said joint. 7 i

The valve chest 63 is connected at that end remote from the arm 62 toone end of the piston rod 87 the opposite end of which is connected tothe piston 88 slidably mounted in the cylinder or valve chest 89, whichis provided in one of its end walls with an air outlet port 90 normallyclosed by the valve 91 held in position by the spring 92.

The piston 88 coacts with a spiral spring 93 housed in the cylinder orvalve chest 89, and located between the end wall and the piston so thatunder the action of this spring,

the air chest 63 is normally held with the arm 62 spaced from theuppermost torpedo tube 25.

Air is admitted through the conduit 94: from the air reservoir 81 andthis conduit is provided with a valve 95 provided with a depending arm96 designed to coact with the offset tappet member 97 carried by thepiston 20. This offset tappet member is provided intermediate of itsends with a second arm 98 designed to coactwith the valve 91, and undercertain circumstances to unseat the same to permit of the air pressurein the valve chest or cylinder 89 being reduced orexhausted.

The torpedoes D which are designed to be utilized with this gun areprovided with the usual turbine. propeller. gyro and other attachmentsat present in use but in other respects the construction of the torpedois unique. being inexpensive and provided at the point with planes 99which may be adjusted in a longitudinal direction to give to the torpedowhen discharged the desired course or path.

These planes are provided intermediate of their length with a swivelconnection 100 which permits of their being angularly adjusted to thedesired extent and the conical end of the torpedo may be slightlycorrugated to hold the planes in the desired position.

These torpedoes are also provided at the rear end with steering planes101 and the air in the torpedo is electrically heated by means of aresistance 102 which is inserted in an electric circuit when thetorpedoes are loaded in the magazine and are ready for immediate usewhen required in emergency.

In loading these torpedoes, they are inserted inverted into thelowermost torpedo tube 25 between the legs of the standards C, and asthe magazine E is rotated and each tube comes to its uppermost position,the torpedo will then be in a normal position ready to be dischargedfrom the gun.

The assembly of the several parts will be readily understood from theforegoing description.

WV hen the gun is in use, the torpedo tubes 25 of the magazine E arefilled with torpedoes whereupon the valve 95 is actuated to permit airflowing from the reservoir 81 through the conduit 9% into the valvechest or cylinder 89 to move the piston 88 which in turn transmits itsmotion to the air chest 63, moving the same in a longitudinal directionto engage the tapered end 61 of the tubular arm 62 with the conicalrecess 60 of the uppermost torpedo tube 25, the tapered front end 23 ofwhich engages with the conical recess 22 of the fixed barrel 1.

The sluice gate 6 is opened by water under pressure being admitted tothe conduit 4; in the manner previously described and simultaneouslywith the opening of the gate, the water cone is formed in front of theport 5, in the hull B of the ship while the auxiliary cone is alsoformed by discharging fluid under pressure from the orifice 16 in theconduit 15.

The valve 82 is now actuated and air is admitted through the conduit 80to the valve chest or cylinder 76, moving the piston 75.

and actuating the lever 73. link 72, lever 71,

rod 70 and D valve 69 permitting air to flow from the reservoir 81 andair chest (33 through the tubular arm 62 into the torpedo tube 25.

Then the air enters the torpedo tube and the desired pressure isattained the valve 57 is unseated and air flows through the port 56 tothe conduit and moves the piston 54 forwardly, so releasing the cam 51and allowing the torpedo to be fired by the com pressed air in thetorpedo tube.

Just as the torpedo D is fired air is admittedto the cut off port 18 andmoves the piston 19, causing the rod 20 to engage with the lever 71 andactuate the rod 70 to close the D valve 69, and the offset tappet 97will engage with the depending arm 96 of the valve andso close the samewhile the arm 98 unseats the valve 91 and allows the air in the cylinder89 to exhaust; The air in front of the piston 7 5 Whichoperates inthe-cylinder Y 7 6 is exhausted by passing through the recess 78 andescaping through the exhaust port 79, The spring 93 will thus move thepiston 88 which in turn moves the valve chest 63 to disengage theconical end 61 of the arm 62 from the conical recess of the torpedo 25.

The magazine E is now moved backwardly by the spring 47 coacting withthe front serrated disk plate 27.

Simultaneously with the rearward-motion of the magazine E, the airpassing from the cylinder 17, passes through the check valve 36 'andpipe 36 and some of the air is delivered through the branch pipe 38 tothe cylinder 39 moving the piston 4:0 and disengaging the locking rod 41from the serrated disk plate 27.

Air also passes to the cylinder 33 and moves the piston 32 upwardly,causing the piston rod 31 and coacting pawl 30 to rotate the serrateddisk plate 27 toa predetermined distance to bring the next torpedo tube35 into alinement with the fixed barrel 1, when the above operations offiring the torpedo are repeated.

By using the check valve 36 the air in the pipe 36 is maintainedat-normal pressure to actuate the pistons 4:0-and 32, after the t0rpedohas been fired and there is no leakage of air back through the by-pass18.

It will be seen that the valve 82 is normally closed after beingactuated or opened and is immediately closed on being released by thespiral spring 83.

When the air has been cut ofl from the port 18, the spring 42 moves thepiston l0 and reengages the locking rod 41 with the serrated disk plate27, holding the magazine E in the desired position, while the piston 32is returned to its normal position under the influence of the spring al, so permitting the pawl 30 to engage another serration 29 preparatoryto rotating the magazine E through another predetermined dis tance tobring the next torpedo tube 25 into alinement with the fixed barrel 1.

When the magazine E is emptied, the sluice gate is closed and themagazine recharged. By providing Water cones at the front of the port 5,it will be understood that the torpedo D is free to enter the waterwithout any tendency of the water to divert the torpedo from it'sintended path.

Although I have illustrated this gun with the several valves arrangedfor mechanical or manual operation at the gun, it willbe understood thatby using magnets or solenoids in an electric circuit, the gun may beactuated from the bridge of a ship and the several operations will thenbe automatically followed one by the other.

As many changes could be made in the above description and manyapparently ings shall beinterpreted' as illustrative and not in alimited sense.

aving now particularly described and ascertained the nature of mysaidinvention, and what manner the same is to be performed, I declarethat what I; claim is:

1. A" torpedo launching apparatus comprising a fixed'bar-rel, arotatable magazine cooperating with the fixed barrel, means for movingthe magazine longitudinally, the magazine comprising a plurality oftorpedo tubes arranged in cylindrical formation with means forautomatically locking the magazine in position as each tube comes intoalin'ement'with the fixedbarrel.

2. The torpedo I launching apparatus claimed in claim 1 carried by meansfor forming a water cone in front of the fixed barrel when the gun isutilized in submarine Warfare.

3. The torpedo launching apparatus as claimed in claim 2 characterizedby an auxiliary means for forming a second water cone in front of thefirst cone.

4. The torpedo launching apparatus as claimed in claim 3 characterizedby an air chest being suspended above the magazine and means whereby theair chest and the uppermost tube of the magazine are successively movedinto intimate engagement with eachother and with the fixed barrel of thegun.

The torpedo launching apparatus as claimedin claim 4 in Which the airchest is formed with a tubular depending arm designed to be engaged withthe rear end of the uppermost tube of the magazine.

6. The torpedo launching apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which avalve operates between the air chest and the tubular arm.

7. The torpedo launching apparatus. as claimed in claim 4 characterizedby the air chest being capable of verticaladjnstment.

8. The torpedo launching apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which theair chest moving means are actuated by compressed fluid.

9. The torpedo launching apparatus as claimed in claim a in whichthe airchest is moved rearwardly by resilient means.

10. The torpedo launching apparatus as claimed: in claim 6 in which thevalve is opened by compressed fluid and closed by resilient means.

11. The torpedo launching apparatus as claimed in claim 4; carried bythe air chest being connected to an air reservoir through a conduithaving a ball socket connection intermediate of its length.

12. The torpedo launching apparatus as claimed in claim 11 in which aport is termed in the hull of a ship in front of the fixed barrel anddesigned to be opened and closed by an automatically actuated sluicegate.

13. The torpedo launching apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which themagazine locking means is opened under air pressure and locked byresilient means.

14. The torpedo launching apparatus as claimed in claim 1 characterizedby each torpedo tube having a releasing cam designed to engage thetorpedo and be automatically released by fluid pressure just prior tothe torpedo being fired.

15. The torpedo launching apparatus as claimed in claim 14 in which thereleasing cam is returned to its normal locking position by resilientmeans.

16. The torpedo launching apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which theadjacent ends of the tubular depending arm, of the FRANK BAKER.

Witnesses J. D. CoLQUHoUN, JAMES BOYD.

Copies of this patent :ma; be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

